Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1887-03-11
THE STORY OF A BOOK.

The housemaid had found it in an ole
cedar box in the attic and put it beside
a volume of Dickens on the middle shelf
of the library bookcase. 1t was little
square. green covered, dog cared, round
cornered geography. 1t was published
when the art of geography making was,
comparatively speaking, in its infancy.
Its maps had blue seas, green, red, white,
yellow, purple, brown and many other
colored lands, and it was embellished
with oGd pictures of still odder people
dressed more singularly still who have
become entirely extinct long since the
artist who drew them died, if the geog-
raphies of the present day are reliable
in their Illustrations.
The advent of this old-fashiOned vol
ume among the richly bound books In
the library caused futter of excite
ment not unmingled with Indignation.
81 can't see for the life Of me-" ex-
claimed collection Of Matthew Ar
nolds essays, "why this common book
should force himself upon our conpa-
N.Y.
mo, nor l." responded the Dickens
novel sharply. "Ii this library is to be
turned into a literary junk shop we
might as well b. in a second hand store
at once"
Eyes, indeed" echoed in unison row
of Scott's novels, which stood like line
of British soldiers with bright red suits,
on an opposite shelf.
Come, what have you got to say for
yourself?" inquired rough Ber Johnson.
"What made you stick yourself in here
against our conseEt?"
81 didn't want to come" answered
the Geography, mildly. "Indeed did
not. 1t wasn't my fault. | was lying
in the old cedar chest in the attic, where
| have lain ever since she grew up and
where / would have been now but"
"She," interrupted Dickens. "Who is
she, pray?"
"Why, don't you know her?" replied
the Geography in amazement. 81
thought you must know her. She used
to study me when she was little pink
faced girl, years and years ago. She
and Jack studied me together. They
were very fond of me, and suppose
that is the reason have been kept so
long"
"Jack?" again inquired the inquisi-
tive Dickens, "whO is jack"
"Jack," continued the Geography,
enthusiastically, "was the handsomest
boy ever knew, and knew whole
generation of boys and girls too. | ought
to know them we'll, for | was read,
thumbed and studied by them for near
ly forty years before Jack found me on
the bookshelf in his fathers library,
where his older brother had left me
when he finished school and went to
sea-"
THAT doesn't explain how you hap
pened to be here" interposed Ben john
son. rudely. "Come, tell us that"
"I was just about to tell you," coDtin-
ued the Geography. you see, Jack
took me to school with him the very
first day he went there. Ii was the lit
tie red school house under the hill. You
probably know it. No? | thought ev-
cry one knew where that was. The
master was very strict and very cruel,
SO used to think. and every day he used
to whip nearly all the boys and keep
half the girls in at recess. Just because
they whispered, and tell you boys and
girls can't help from whispering in
school any more than from breathing.
| said nearly all the boys. Jack was
one he didn't whip. Why? Jack was
cripple. How did that happenS I'll
tell you. Phillis-she was Jacks sweet
heart-was the prettiest girl in all the
school. She was younger than Jack,
lust a year. He was twelve and she
was eleven, and they loved each other
Just as much as people good deal older
than they were, if not little more.
One dav after school Jack and PhilIis
were sliding down the school hill on
Jacks big sled. The master was out
watching them. The road didn't run
straight down :he hill. but wound
around down through small grove Of
trees. The road had been covered with
water and was ice from top TO bottom,
and tie slsis flew faster than the wind
as they went down. This time Pbillis
sat in front Of the sled, her little red
stockings curled up under her dress,
while Jack beld on behind and steered
with his leg. They started-the last
slide they had-from the top, AMI were
going faster than ever before when
PhilIis gave little scream and caught
hold of The sled tighter than ever. JACK
looked over her shoulder and saw log
| sled, piled high with logs, crossing the
road. How fast they were going, ant